Gravity-latch.



H. BLYE.

GRAVITY LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED ocT.2e.xs1al Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

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HAROLD DIJE, OFGRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, AssIeNon 'ro` NATIONAL DnAss Oo., or

GRAND RAPIDS, MICIIIGAN, A CORPORATION or-MICHIGAN. A

GRAVITY-LATCH.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, HAROLD zen of the United States of America, residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gravity-Latchesg and I do hereby declare the following to Abe a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to-whichlit screws 7 as shown.

appertai'ns lto make and use the same.

This invention relatesvto a latch particularly adaptedfor use f in holdingV swinging doors closed though it is not in anymeasure limited tothe one usespecified.` It is an objectand purpose ofthe invention to produce` a latch entirely of sheet metal of `few parts requiring a relatively small number of operations, and one in which a single latch may be used on either a 4door swinging to the right or to the leftthere being' obviated the necessity of having two complete sets of dies for makingthe rights and lefts heretofore necessary tosupply latches for both types of doors. Afurtherobject of, the invention -is to` produce aflatch 'of .extreme simplicity inconstruction and one which op erates automaticaliy'as the door reaches closingjposition to hold the` door in such position, release thereof being effected by a simple-manual operation of a handle `forming one element of the latch structure. These features,ztogether with others not specifically enumerated at this point will fully appear' from the following description taken in .connection with the accompanying drawing showing a practical and working embodiment of the invention, in which drawings:

., Figure lis afront elevation of the latch applied to a door, a fragmentof the door andof -the casing Or jamb therefor being shown 'l i v Fig 2 isa-side elevation thereof.'

- Fig. .3 is a rear elevation ofthe latch construction. l '11 i Fig. 4 is a 'front elevation Of the latch housing, and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sideelevation and section of the connecting mechanism between the latch-handle and the latch' lever or bar. Like reference` characters refer 4to like parts lin the different views of the drawings, and in all.V of the drawings the V,scale is substantially twice that of the latch as made. The latch is designed. .110' be attachedadr Specification of Letters Patent:

BLYE, a citipermanently together.

Patented Feb. 11, 1919.

Application iled October 26, 1918i Serial No. 259,765.

jacent the free edge of the door 1, while the keeper is adapted for attachmentto an adjacent portion ofthe door jamb or casing 2. The keeper comprises a` plate 3 from which a hook l projects, it having an inclined front face 5 and a rear vertical shoulder 6 behind which the latch bar or lever is adapted to position when the door is closed. In practice the keeper is secured to the door jamb by any suitable means, such, as the The latch is .formed from sheet metal, preferably, andcomprises ahousing having a front side 8 with rearwardly bent sides 9 and ends 10, said ends being bent upwardly and downwardly, respectively, `to form attaching sections 11 which parallel the front 8 of the housing and are adapted to lie against the front of the door,- being secured thereto by any suitable fastening means such as` screws which pass through holes made in the sections 11, as shown in Fig. 1.

One of the sides 9 is turned under the front of the housing for a distance making a section 12 which lies against the front of the door, which sectionat its free edge and substantiallv at its middle point has an integralllip; 13 projectingtherefrom turned upwardly atthe end 'toenter an Opening 14: made through the latch bar or lever 15. The opening 14: is substantially at the middle of the lever 15, the same extending through a slot 16 cut in a side 9 of the housing and a distancebeyond so as to pass over the hook of the striker vwhen the door is closed.

`In the front` 8 of the housing a central4 opening 17 is cut to leave two inwardly projecting tangs 18 which extend toward each other as `best shown inFig. .4. j A post 19 passes through the opening 17 andpis formed with a hole 20 therethrough at` a point between its ends `into which the tangs 18 may be inserted thereby pivotally `mounting the post to turn on a horizontal. axis. The inner reduced end 19a of the post passes loosely into an ,opening made through the inner end of the latch lever 15, `while the other end passes through the upper end of an Operating handle 21V and is Y headedover as shown at 19b to secure the handle and post The lower end of the handle is formed into a ring 22 for ready engagement bythe fingers in the manual operation ofthe same. It will be noted that the connectionuof the'handle to the post pertion,it'being apparent that the unlatehing mits the turning-of the handle about the axis of the postato a position directly op-vv posite that shown inthe drawings, and that while the drawings show the latch attached to a door adapted to swing to the right, when the handle is turned around one hundred and eig'hty degrees and the latchninverted, it is adapted to be attached to doors swinging in the opposite direction-the slot 16 being of suflicient length to permit the movement 'of the latch lever when' the latch is sary to grasp the ring 22 and pull outwardly` thereon whereupon the inner end of the latch lever is depressed with a consequentV elevation of the outer free end held by theV hook 4 to a point. above the hook, whereupon thedoor may be swung touopen posiof the door is accomplished by one act. of

`the operator, namely', an outward pull'on r the ring 22 of the handle. When the door is closed the outer endof the latch lever 15 strikes .against the inclined face 5 of the keeper and Yrides -upwardly thereon until it passes the nose of the hook, dropping be- Vat hind the shoulder 6, making a very easily operated latch for both closing and opening operations. H f

A latch of the character describedrmay bemade entirely `from sheetmetal by simple stamping and forming operations. Itis particularly economical 'to `manufacture having vbut four parts easily made and as,- sembled, and the feature of universal applif cation to both right and left swinging doors is one of greatgmerit, Ythis coming from the attachment of the handle to the .post described.rrr y e. t Iclainiz .p Y l. Alateh of the character described comprising a housing including a front and in-V wardly turned sides .and ends,A one of said' sides being slotted substantially its I entire length.. and having t an integral; section turned inwardly under the frontof the' housing and spaced therefrom, said section,

terminating ina centrally located upturned lip, and said front having an opening therethrough with Vintegraltangs extending toward each other from opposite sidesof the' opening, galatch lever having two openings therethrough,` one adjacent the inner lend of the lever Vand one adjacent ,the middle of the lever, saidv leverv being located* in thehous ing with saidhp insertedv into the last named opening and with the free end of v-thelever extendingthrough the slot-in theside .of the housing, a-post formed `with -a holefthere-v .Y

l through between `its ends passing through the opening in the front of the housing, said tangsentering said hole in the post at opposite ends thereof, and with the inner end of the postpassing into the openingadjacent the inner end of the latch lever, and a Y handle connectedto-the outer end of the post and depending therefrom, vsaidvhandle being attached to Vthegpost -soas to `turn about the aXis'of the post, substantially as described.

2.' A latch of the character vdescribed comprising a housing including a front and inwardly turned sides and ends,fonefof said sidesbeing slotted and having an integralsection turned inwardly under-the front of the housing and spacedV therefrom,Y a latch lever-pivotally mounted between its ends on said inturned section and extend' ing through the slot inthe sideof-the housing, a postpassing throughl the frontof the housing and pivotally mounted thereon loetween its ends to turn about a horizontal aXis, the inner end -ofthepost4 havin'gfa pivotal connection with Vthe 'inner end of the latch lever, "and a handle connected t0-V the outer end of the post and depending therefrom, saidv vhandle being attached to the post to turn labout the axis thereof,

substantially as described.' Y

3. A latch ofthe character described comprising a housing havinga front and sides and ends, oneY of saidl sides being slotted and then turned inwardly underthe front and spaced therefrom, a latch lever pivotally connected between its'ends to` `said inwardly turned portion and extending through the slot in the-side ofthe housing, a post passinggthrough the front of the housing and pivotally mounted thereon ,befV

tween its ends, the innerA end of the post having` pivotal connection'with the @inner end of the latch lever, and a handle connected to the outer end of the post and depending therefrom, substantiallylas de-` scribed. c

4. A latch comprising a housing, a latch lever passing-through a side of the housiing and pivotally mounted between its endsV within the housing, Ameans includingaf f :lej

pending handle associated with the latch lever for elevating the outerend of the lever, said handle being connected withthe remaining partsof the elevating mechanism to turn about a horizontal axis to directly opposed positions with respect to the housing,substantially as described. t

5.` In combination, Aa door, a housing secured tothe door, a latch lever.pivotally` mountedon and within the housing and extending at one end across `the meeting edges of the'v doorand the jamb: therefor, a keeper secured'to thedoor jarnb,` and ist provided with a hook having an inclined outer edge and a vertical shoulder behind which the outer end of the lever is adapted to locate, a post pivotally mounted between its ends on the housing and extending through the front side of the housing, pivotal connections between the inner end of the post and the inner end of the latch lever, and a handle secured to the outer` end of the post and depending therefrom, substantially as described.

6. A latch comprising a housing, a latch lever pivotally mounted thereon and eX- tending to one side of the housing, and actuating means for the lever including a handle adapted to turn about a horizontal Copies of this patent may be obtained for axis to opposed positions with respect to the housing and latch lever, whereby the latch is adapted for attachment to doors swinging in either direction, substantially as described.

7. A latch comprising a support, a latch lever pivotally mounted thereon, and actuating means including a movably mounted handle adapted to be turned to opposed positions with respect to the support and latch lever, whereby the latch is adapted for attachment to doors swinging in either direction, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiiX my signature.

HAROLD BLYE.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

